DETECTIVES ARE investigating whether one of the heirs to the Tetra Pak drinks carton fortune lived with his wife’s body for up to a week after her death in their Belgravia mansion in London.
Hans Kristian Rausing (49) was being treated in hospital yesterday after being arrested when detectives discovered the body of Eva Rausing (48) in a bedroom during a search of the couple’s home.
It emerged yesterday that part of the investigation into what detectives are describing as her “unexplained” death, is examining how long she might have lain in her home before police arrived.
A postmortem on Tuesday proved inconclusive and further tests are being carried out to establish the cause of death, which could have taken place up to a week ago.
Police from the London Metropolitan police’s homicide and serious crime command have yet to interview Mr Rausing.
Scotland Yard said he remained under arrest but had been transferred to hospital for treatment and police officers were present. His condition is not thought to be life-threatening and it is believed he is being treated in the Maudsley hospital for drug-related issues.
The couple have struggled for many years with drug addiction.
They narrowly escaped prison in 2008 after heroin and £2,000 worth of crack cocaine were found at their home when Ms Rausing was arrested after trying to smuggle several wraps of cocaine into a reception at the American embassy in Grosvenor Square.
Mr Rausing, an heir to the £4.5 billion Tetra Pak fortune, was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drugs after being seen driving erratically in south London on Monday.
When officers went to his home in Cadogan Place, they discovered Ms Rausing’s body in an upstairs bedroom. They will want to question him about whether he was living with the body without alerting the authorities.
Those who benefited from their philanthropic work paid tribute to Ms Rausing, who supported a number of addiction charities, and was a trustee of the Prince of Wales’s charity the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community.– (Guardian service)